Fine china is the norm, but for V’s platinum birthday, we give the gift of girl power. In our week-long series “Going Platinum” we highlight six standouts form our 20 years of sonic discovery. To conclude this installment, the divine Kim Gordon speaks to V about her new album and the importance of tapping into one’s strengths.

“I’ve always been kind of skeptical of working with producers or the idea of constructing a song. But, that’s how hip-hop is constructed—it’s not really made by a band. It’s almost like collaging. [For this new album], I wasn’t actually self-conscious about mixing genres. I tried to use the things that I feel like are my strengths—rhythm, schisms of space, and lyrics.”

This story appears in the pages of V121: now available to order here

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter for exclusive stories from the new issue.